Method of and apparatus for heating and discharging rails.



W. H MORGAN. METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR HEATING AND DISGHARGING RAILS,

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 17, 1909.

1,006,868. Patented 001;. 24, 1911.

INVENTOR WITNESSES M 774 COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH cm, WASHINGTON, D. c.

WILLIAM HENRY MORGAN, OF ALLIANCE, OHIO.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR HEATING AND DlSO'I-IARGING- RAILS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Get. 24, 1911.

Application filed November 17, 1909. Serial No. 528,586.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. MORGAN, of Alliance, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of and Apparatus for Heating and Discharging Rails; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, .and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in method of and apparatus for heating and discharging rails.

In the manufacture of railroad ties from old rails, by the apparatus disclosed in my application No. 520,857 filed October 4th, 1909, it is necessary to heat the rails and feed them while hot, to the expanding device which converts the head of the rail into a wide flange, and as the rails being operated upon, are, at the commencement of the expanding operation, partly within the furnace and partly in the expanding apparatus, it is essential that the discharge opening of the furnace be located in line with the feeding mechanism of the expanding apparatus.

The object of the present invention is to provide a furnace for heating a series of superimposed rails, the lower rail of the series being in the plane of the discharge opening in the furnace, so that as the lower rail is fed to the expanding apparatus, the rail next above, will drop by gravity into osition in line with the discharge opening.

IVith this and other objects in View my invention consists in the method of placing the rails one on top of another, heating them, and expelling the lower rail whereby the one next above will drop into position to be next discharged.

My invention further consists in a furnace constructed to support a series of superimposed rails, a discharge opening in one end and in the plane of the lower rail. of the series, and an opening in the opposite end for feeding the rails to the furnace.

My invention further consists in the parts and combinations of parts and in the details of construction as will be more fully explained and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in longitudinal section of my improved furnace. Fig. 2 is a view in cross section on the line A, A of Fig. 1 and Fig.

3 is a view in horizontal section on the line B B of Fig. 2.

1 represents a furnace the combustion chamber 2 of which is of a length sufficient to receive a rail, or a section of a rail, and slightly wider than the width of the rail. This furnace which is closed at the top may be heated by oil, gas or any other fuel, and I prefer to provide the floor and sides of the combustion chamber 2 with inwardly projecting ribs 3 formed by projecting the lining of the chamber 2 inwardly, as-shown in Figs. 1 and 3. These ribs or seats, are so located as to permit of free circulation of the heat, and products of combustion around the rails, and in each is partly embedded awater cooled pipe 4, which projects slightly beyond the ribs and forms seats or rests for the lower rail, and side rests for the entire series of rails. These pipes 4, as shown in Fig. 2, preferably enter near the top of the combustion chamber, and then pass downwardly over across the floor, and then upwardly and out near the top, and are kept cool by water which is prefcrably forced through under pressure so as to prevent the formation of steam therein.

The furnace is located adjacent the expanding apparatus before referred to, and is provided at its end adjacent said apparatus, with a discharge opening 6 through which the rails 7 are fed endwise to feed wheels 8, which may be the feed wheels of the expanding apparatus, or independent feed wheels timed to feed at the same rate of speed as, and in unison with, the feed wheels of the expander.

The combustion chamber is of a width to readily receive a single rail, hence when the furnace is filled, the rails are superimposed, so that when the lower rail is expelled by a plunger 8*, and feed wheels or other suitable means, the rails next above will drop into position opposite the exit opening.

In the operation of the furnace, it is filled with rails piled one on top of the other as shown, and properly heated. Then the lower rail is at the proper temperature, it is forced out by the plunger 8 until engaged by the feed wheels 8, after which the plunger is withdrawn. The feed wheels then withdraw the rail gradually, and feed it to the expander, and as the rail passes from under the rail next above, the latter and the rail or rails carried thereby, will first drop at the rear end, and as the rail being fed passes from under the rail next above, will drop at the other end. As one rail leaves the furnace, the lower rail is then started, and another rail is introduced at the top through opening 9 at the rear of the furnace. By this method and apparatus, a rail being acted upon by the expander is withdrawn gradually, and is acted upon while part of it is still in the furnace, thus maintaining the rail at a temperature where it can be readily worked. While one rail is being expelled the others above are being rapidly heated, so that by the time each rail reaches its lowest position. it is in condition to be worked.

I do not confine myself to any particular construction of furnace, or to any particular means for feeding the rails to the machine for reworking same, but claim broadly the method of placing the rails one upon another within the furnace so that as the lower rail is expelled the one next above will drop by gravity into position opposite the discharge opening.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is

l. The method of heating and discharging metal shapes from a furnace, consisting in placing the shapes in a single superimposed row within the furnace, supporting each shape at its sides and the bottom shape at intervals along its bottom, so as to permit free circulation of heat under the shapes,

heating the entire series, and discharging the lower shape of the series endwise through an opening in the furnace Wall.

2. The method of heating and discharging metal shapes, consisting in placing the shapes in a single superimposed row within the furnace, supporting each shape at intervals at its sides, and the bottom shape at intervals along its bottom, so as to permit free circulation of the heat under and around the shapes, heating the entire series, and f rcing the lower shape endwise out of the furnace thus permitting the shape next above to fall by gravity onto the floor of the furnace.

3. The combination with a furnace closed at its top and having an opening at one end through which the metal shapes to be heated are placed in the furnace, and also having a discharge opening in the plane of the floor of the heating chamber and means for sustaining metal shapes to be heated in a vertical superimposed row and for supporting each shape at its sides, of means for ejecting the lower shape through said discharge opening thereby permitting the shape next above to drop into position to be discharged.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

IVILLIAM HENRY MORGAN.

Witnesses:

C. R. RICHARDS, N. C. FETTERS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of I'atents, Washington, D. G. 

